Summary
- Pokemon's battle system has stood the test of time, with new generations adding twists to keep things interesting.
- Pokemon types and interactions play a crucial role in battles, with certain combinations proving to be highly effective offensively.
- Type combinations like Fire/Dark, Water/Flying, and Fire/Fighting offer unique strengths and advantages in competitive battles.
Despite some issues, Pokemon’s battle system has stood the test of time, with every new generation bringing new twists of its own to keep things interesting. One of the pillars of this system is Pokemon’s types and their interactions.
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Each Pokemon can have a maximum of two types, leading to countless rock, paper, scissors-like interactions across the roster. Moves of a certain type are powered up when used by Pokemon of the same type, as this grants them a same-type attack bonus also known as STAB, having two excellent offensive types can make a Pokemon quite powerful. While there are a lot of possible combinations, these are the ones that do the best offensively.
Updated on June 4, by Ashely Claudino: There are dozens of Pokemon type combinations, and as the metagame evolves, some combinations lose value while others become more important than ever. This guide has been updated and it now includes the offensive strength of each type combination entry.
12 Fire/Dark
Powerful Against the Most Defensive Pokemon
- Examples of Fire/Dark-type Pokemon: Incineroar, Chi-Yu
- Strong against: Grass-, Ice-, Bug-, Steel-, Psychic-, Ghost-type Pokemon
Fire and Dark are two types that come together to make a very potent combination. Together, they can hit 6 different types for super-effective damage, including strong defensive types like Steel and Ghost.
While the Houndoom line was the first to use this type combination, Incineroar was the Pokemon to really show off its potential, quickly becoming one of the most used Pokemon in competitive battles, and staying so for two whole generations. Chi-Yu, a Legendary Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, also uses this combo to great effect.
11 Water/Flying
A Mighty, Yet Rare Offensive Combination
- Examples of Water/Flying-type Pokemon: Gyarados, Pelipper, Cramorant
- Strong against: Fire-, Ground-, Rock-, Grass-, Fighting-, Bug-type Pokemon
Water and Flying are both fairly unassuming types, which nonetheless have a good offensive synergy. Together, they are able to hit six types for super-effective damage, including types that give the other trouble. Water for example can easily counter flying’s weakness to rock.
There is a decent number of Water/Flying-types, but none of them are particularly offensively minded. Pelipper has been used in competitive Pokemon fairly often thanks to its supportive movepool. There are good offensive Water/Flying-type Pokemon, and Gyarados is a great example of this combination. Unfortunately, due to the shortage of reliable and strong Flying-type attacks, Gyrarados it tends to not make the best use of its typing.
10 Fire/Fighting
Fast Firey Fighters
- Examples of Fire/Fighting-type Pokemon: Blaziken, Infernape, Blaze Breed Tauros
- Strong against: Grass-, Ice-, Bug-, Normal-, Rock-, Dark-, Steel-type Pokemon
As two of the better offensive types in the series, Fire and Fighting come together to hit a whopping seven types for super-effective damage and are resisted by none. The combo is somewhat weakened by their crossovers though, as they both hit Steel and Ice types super-effectively.
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Blaziken and Infernape were the first Fire/Fighting-types, and both have gained great success thanks to their type. Emboar somewhat let this combo down, but the Galarian Tauros has given it a chance to shine again.
9 Water/Fighting
A Most Recent Contender
- Examples of Water/Fighting-type Pokemon: Aqua Breed Tauros, Urshifu, Poliwrath, Quaquaval
- Strong against: Fire-, Ground-, Rock, Normal-, Ice-, Dark-, Steel-type Pokemon
Water is less offensively gifted than Fire, but has less crossover with Fighting, meaning that Water/Fighting still hits seven types for super-effective damage. These types include Steel, Dark, Fire, and Ground, which are all quite strong types.
The first Pokemon to use this combination was Poliwrath, but its mediocre stats held it back. In recent games though, Pokemon like Keldeo, Urshifu, and Quaquaval have had greater success using these types effectively, especially since both have a good range of strong attacking moves.
8 Rock/Fire
Coalossal Power
- Examples of Rock/Fire-type Pokemon: Coalossal, Hisuain Arcanine
- Strong against: Grass-, Ice-, Bug-, Steel-, Fire-, Flying-type Pokemon
There is no doubt that both Rock and Fire are strong offensive types in the world of Pokemon fighting. Even though the Rock- and Fire-type combination takes twice as much damage against Water-type moves, these Pokemon get access to powerful moves that can annihilate a wide range of different Pokemon types, as they can hit six Pokemon types for super-effective damage.
Coalossal, a Pokemon introduced in Pokemon Sword & Shield, quickly became one of the most popular Pokemon in the Generation VIII competitive scene.
7 Electric/Fighting
A Gen 9 Addition
- Examples of Electric/Fighting-type Pokemon: Iron Hands, Pawmot
- Strong against: Water-, Ground-, Normal-, Ice-, Rock-, Flying-, Dark-, Steel-type Pokemon
Another great offensive pairing for Fighting is the Electric-type. Paired up they are able to hit eight types super-effectively and aren’t resisted by any. Fighting’s strength against Steel and Dark is always useful, but Electric also helps patch up Fighting’s weakness against Flying-types.
Unfortunately, Electric is fairly lacking in good physical moves and Fighting lacks a lot of good special moves, meaning this combo is hard to make work in practice. This type combination has only recently appeared in Pokemon Scarlet &Violet, and both Pawmot and Iron Hands are giving it a decent debut.
6 Steel/Ground
Old But Gold
- Examples of Ground/Steel-type Pokemon: Excadrill, Steelix, Iron Treads
- Strong against: Ice-, Rock-, Fairy-, Fire-, Electric-, Poison-, Steel-type Pokemon
As the best defensive type in the game, Steel doesn’t have the best offensive coverage. However, when paired with Ground, they are able to hit seven types for super-effective damage, with their only crossover being on Rock types. Being able to hit Electric-, Fairy- and Steel-types is also a big boon.
Excadrill has made a name for itself over several generations using this combo to great effect, but Iron Treads, a paradox Pokemon, is currently taking its place.
5 Ground/Fighting
Cover (Nearly) All Grounds
- Examples of Ground/Fighting-type Pokemon: Great Tusk
- Strong against: Normal-, Fire-, Electric-, Ice-, Poison-, Rock-, Dark-, Steel-type Pokemon
Ground- and Fighting-type Pokemon have pretty great offensive coverage, as they get access to moves that are strong against eight different types.
Unfortunately, players won't have to opportunity to explore the Ground- and Fighting-type Pokemon combination much, as there is only one monster in the game who has it: Great Tusk, one of the Paradox Pokemon introduced in Scarlet and Violet.
4 Flying/Ground
A Competitive Threat
- Examples of Flying/Ground-type Pokemon: Landorus, Gliscor
- Strong against: Fire-, Grass-, Electric-, Fighting-, Poison-, Bug-, Rock-, Steel-type Pokemon
This is an overall amazing type both offensively and defensively; together, Flying and Ground can hit eight types for super-effective damage, have zero crossover, and cover types that the other is weak to.
Once again though, the lack of reliable Flying-type attacks hinders this combo’s power somewhat. However, the only offensively focused Pokemon with this type combo is Landorus, who has wreaked havoc on the competitive scene for years. So much so that some trainers were happy to see it initially excluded from Scarlet and Violet’s pokedex.
3 Fairy/Ground
A Combination for a Future Generation
- Strong against: Fire-, Electric-, Fighting-, Poison-, Rock-, Dragon-, Dark-, Steel-type Pokemon
Fairy makes up half of the defensive beast that is Fairy/Steel, and it still manages to be part of an amazing offensive combo as well. Fairy- and Ground- can hit eight types for super-effective damage, including Dragon and Electric, who have few weaknesses in the first place.
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Yet, there has never been a Fairy/Ground-type Pokemon, so it’s hard to decide just how good this combo would be. However, very few Pokemon can resist this combination, and all of them are partial flying types who do so by leveraging their immunity to Ground.